Shampoo
by Veggiechick
Summary: Sophie is terrified of being a rubbish mother, especially as it seems that her only son prefers his father over her.


Sophie sat in a rocking chair near the kitchen. Ever since coming back home from that drafty castle in the air, Morgan had had a cold that made him sleepy during the day and cranky at night. As it was approximately one a.m. in Ingary this was one of those cranky times. She had been holding him since ten, half asleep herself, alternately pacing the room or (when she had become too sleepy to stand with confidence) rocking him.

Calcifer, who had a certain soft spot (that he denied vehemently) for the child, had run the bath at maximum temperature upstairs without being asked, hoping that the steam would help to clear the little boys lungs.

Morgan's cries, which had been strong and indignant at the outset of the day, had turned to sad little whimpers of exhaustion. Sophie felt terrible. Her first week of being a human mother, and she was doing a rubbish job. She whispered soothing words to Morgan about his father—his obviously preferred parent. Whenever he was in Howl's arms he seemed more content. Sophie had always been a bit afraid of babies—much too loud and messy and needy. She loved Morgan, and because of that had learned to over come her dislike of noise and mess. She even enjoyed the fact that he was needy because it made her feel—well—needed. She loved her little boy, but she was still not a natural mother. She dropped things all the time, and was terrified that one day she would drop Morgan. She forgot him in various rooms of the castle when faced with catastrophes. (It was only one time. Michael had broken his arm and was screaming bloody murder. Sophie had rushed out in order to see what was wrong, only to rush in again as soon as her feet hit the grass because she realized she had forgotten Morgan on the changing table/Howl's vanity. Howl was not aware that his vanity was also a changing table. Sophie still felt terrible—about forgetting Morgan, not the vanity.)

She looked out at the vast expanse of the waste uncharacteristically allowing herself to wallow in her shortcomings.

"Calcifer, when did Howl say he'd be home again?" she wearily asked the fire demon, not noticing the little _ding_ that came when the door changed locations.

"Just about—" There was a slam as Howl burst through the door, nearly crackling with energy, and another one as he closed it again.

"—now," Calcifer grumbled as he avoided the gust of cold air that Howl had let in.

Howl was dressed in a purple suit with green diamonds on the sleeves and a black shirt. He looked positively delighted to have all eyes on him, including his son's—the same son that was now crying more forcefully, attempting to reach his arms out to his father and only succeeding in flailing them about and making it difficult for Sophie not to drop him.

"Oh, come here you," Howl scooped up the child with ease and Morgan was soon silent and settled in his arms. "You big baby."

Sophie thought that this was a bit rich coming from Howl, but decided to keep this to herself.

"How was Suliman? And Lettie? What was wrong?" Sophie asked with her head leaned against the back of the chair and her eyes closed.

"Nothing much—just a couple of Water demons in house, making mischief. He wouldn't mind so much, but Lettie's about ready to set fire to the whole house. I cleared it up. I have a certain, ah, specialty in convincing demons." Howl curled one of Morgan's curls around his finger. Strangely enough, as someone who despised his own dark hair color, he adored the exact same shade of Morgan's. Calcifer perked up.

"Water demons? Ungrateful upstarts. Not even really alive as they don't need a heart to get around down here." He sniffed with dignity. "They could just quietly live in the gutters and water spouts and the occasional U-bend, but _noooo_. They just _have_ to be noticed."

Sophie almost cracked a smile at this new show of hypocrisy. She would have gone herself to Lettie's, as she was the one who could speak magic so well, but she had honestly been too utterly tired. She had gained a new and grudging respect for her stepmother throughout her pregnancy and approximately two weeks of being a mother. It was hard.

"Sophie?"

She opened one eye slightly. Howl seemed to be pouting.

"Yes?"

"You cut your hair again."

"Yes." Her eye seemed to say _And?_

"It looks so much better long. You could do all sorts of lovely things with it."

"It was taking too long to wash and I needed more time to look after Morgan."

"But it looked so much _better_—"

"Howl, I believe that you are good looking enough for the both of us. It's alright; I don't need to be beautiful."

"Did I say that? I did not. I did not say that you weren't beautiful. You very obviously are. I simply said that your hair would look better _long_. I have a potion here somewhere that could make it grow back a little more quickly. The King ordered it but—well, he can wait. His hair's not growing back, I don't need to hurry on that one."

Howl walked across to his woefully messy table. Sophie took each Wednesday to clean. Today was Tuesday, and so Howl had managed to fully clutter everything up. He shifted Morgan to his shoulder in order to rummage with his free hand, and the little boy placed his little arms around his father's neck in his sleep. He continued to softly snore and Sophie felt a twinge of sadness. If she so much as breathed differently while Morgan was asleep in her arms, he woke up crying.

"Ah here it—no…what is this?" Howl held a small vial of some murky pink liquid with a few blue blobs floating around in it up to the light in order to be able to see it properly. "It looks as if Michael has attempted his homework. And, could it be? Yes, it actually looks as if this one might be correct."

Sophie made a noise of vague interest. She was almost asleep.

"Howl looked at it, turning it this way and that, and turning around to look at it through Calcifer's light instead of the lamp's. He woke Morgan in doing so, but the boy was so comfortable and content, he simply continued to lay on his father's shoulder peer at all the interesting things on the table.

"I suppose there is only one true way to find out."

It took Sophie a while to process what Howl meant. When she understood, she jumped out of her seat to protest, but her husband was already downing the last dregs of the potion with a grimace on his face.

"Ick. Tastes disgusting. We'll work on that."

"Howl…what was that supposed to be?"

"A languages potion, my dear. It is supposed to give one the ability to speak and understand any language for a short amount of time. Also ordered by the King for his negotiations with the Strangians. Oh. He is not going to be happy with me.

"Howl," Sophie said bracingly. "No one in this house speaks another language.

"That is where you're wrong. There is exactly one member of this household that speaks another language."

In confusion Sophie looked at Calcifer. He knew some sort of fire demon language, but she was fairly certain Howl already knew how to speak that. But, no, Howl now held Morgan at arms length away and was staring seriously into his face. Morgan put his hand in his mouth and drooled.

"Alright, Sophie, what would you like to know? We have approximately thirty minutes to ask Morgan whatever we want."

Sophie looked confused "But…he doesn't…"

"He speaks Baby. Of course that's not its official name, its official name is actually quite long and complicated and old. Ugh. But, yes, it is another language. Ask away."

"Ask him…" Sophie had refrained until now from revealing her fears to Howl because she was afraid of being a disappointment. She was not beautiful (despite what he seemed to think) or extremely clever, so she wanted to be a very good mother to his son at least. But she was tired, and she really wanted to know. "Ask him why he likes you more than me."

As soon as the question fell from her lips, she turned red. She had not meant it to sound so petty. Howl raised his eyebrows, but did not comment and turned to Morgan. He made a series of baby-like sounds, with his voice going higher at the end like a question.

Morgan eagerly replied. _Oh great_, Sophie thought. _He's got a list_. Howl turned back to Sophie.

"Morgan would like you to know that he does not have favorites and that he absolutely loves his mother. He would also like to point out though, that your hair smells funny. He doesn't like it and it makes his nose tickle."

Sophie took a strand of her strawberry hair and smelled it.

"It smells like my shampoo," she said confusedly.

Howl frowned in confusion also.

"Which do you use?"

"Oh, you know, that green one with the silver sparkles."

Howl laughed.

"Sophie, that's not a shampoo."

"What is it then?"

Howl simply laughed some more. Sophie became worried.

"What is it?!"

"Don't worry it won't hurt you."

Sophie stamped her foot.

"_Howl!_"

Howl turned back to Morgan.

"And if mommy stops using this…erm…_shampoo_, then you'll be perfectly fine with sitting in her lap and going to sleep and being a generally agreeable baby?

Morgan seemed to understand Howl, though he had spoken English, and responded.

"Alright, he either said 'Yes, absolutely,' or 'I like bannanas'. I think we can assume both to be the truth.

"So…so he doesn't dislike me?" Sophie approached almost warily. Morgan reached out a hand and tapped her cheek affectionately. Sophie held it against her face. She smiled.

"Yes, yes, peace is restored in the Pendragon/Jenkins/Whatever we are household. Now we can focus on me and my annoyances. That potion lasted not nearly long enough. I can't understand him at all now." For Morgan was happily babbling away. "I'm going to go wake up Michael and see what he did wrong. But first—a bath. Calcifer! Run one!"

Howl handed off Morgan to Sophie, and went up the stairs. She held him and noticed that his nose wrinkled, but that he did not cry.

"I'll go to the market in Chipping tomorrow and buy some actual shampoo, shall I?"

Morgan smiled and rested his head on his mother's soft shoulder. He sneezed once, and then his breathing became softer as he slipped into sleep.

Howl peeked down from the staircase.

"Honestly though, Sophie, you thought it was _shampoo_?"

"Howl Pendragon if you do not tell me what that was this minute—" Sophie said in a fierce whisper in order not to wake Morgan. Howl laughed again and went to take his bath. Sophie sat back in her rocking chair and started rocking once again, but this time there was a small smile on her face.


End file.
